Spanish ‘stolen babies’ scandal hearing held in European Parliament

Today the Petitions Committee in the European Parliament heard an update on the Spanish ‘stolen babies’ scandal from petitioners, representatives from the EU Commission and MEPs.

This hearing came just days after the Spanish Congress of Deputies adopted new rules which should implement the recommendations made in the report authored by Jude Kirton-Darling MEP after her fact-finding visit to Madrid in 2017. The new ‘stolen babies rule’ must now pass through the Spanish senate.

Importantly, the new rules call for the necessary resources to be made available “for the pursuit of truth, justice and reparation of the so-called theft of babies in Spain since 17 July 1936” and admission that this is a crime against humanity. It also gives victims the right to access a wide selection of state held documentation including adoption records, cemeteries, records etc. and DNA tests for these cases will be carried out free of charge.

One of the petitioners present was Ruth Appleby from Catterick, whose petition Jude has been supporting in the committee, who thanked the Petitions Committee for its work adding that while it feels like no one else is taking responsibility for this, the committee is the only body that has actually helped.